It’s not about me today

I got to work. After a night of no sleep. After the train was late. After work texts hit my cell.

And then my boss called my line. Yelled at me. Told me what I did was “bad, bad, bad” and it “would have been horrible” and that if he isn’t at work and a decision needs to be made I need to “call him on his cell at home!” That HE was the lead. And HE needs to make every decision. And HE needs to be aware of all decisions. For the record, he’s angry because I made the correct decision. I didn’t actually DO anything wrong. He’s yelling out a hypothetical thing because it wasn’t HIS call that was the right one.

Imagine all this being said over the phone in an angry, raised voice that talks down to you. That essentially told you that, while you did the job right, it wasn’t a job for you to do. And that you are simply a lowly admin assistant. And you need to remember your place. End.of.story.

Zing.

And then I got off the phone and cried.

I went into a coworker’s office and cried. She took both our sides. And then said I’d eventually learn to grow a thicker skin.

After I hung out in the bathroom for a few minutes, reducing the redness to my nose, and the puffiness around my eyes, etc…. I went back to my desk and sucked it up. And then thought about someone else. It wasn’t about me today.

My amazing coworker was running from her desk to the printer to our conference table in a daze. Freaking out. Near tears. And I almost missed it due to my own selfishness. I went to her and asked if I could help. She declined. So I helped anyway.

I organized the table to make it easier for her to work. I taped boxes closed. I printed documents for her. I went across the street to Starbucks, bought her a drink and two bags of Reese’s Piece’s Peanut Butter Cups (her fav candy) and handed them to her. Then I gave her a hug.

And once her project was done? And as she walked out the door? She came up to me. Hugged me and said, “Seriously….thank you.”

It’s not always about me. And I’m grateful that making someone else’s day also made mine.